The Sewing Place

Singer 401G

daisy

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2018, 11:13:03 AM »
Oooh! That LA cabinet is just delicious!  :loveit: :loveit: :loveit:

I've never seen one for real (in the wild or in a photo). They must not have been very popular and/or durable.

LeilaMay

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #16 on: January 11, 2018, 11:30:45 AM »
The Queen Anne Legs? I've seen them occasionally on ebay    >:)

b15erk

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #17 on: January 11, 2018, 11:35:23 AM »
I've got one at the side of me now (QA legs), it contains a 201k.  Needs some tlc, but originally had an Alfa in it.

I bought it originally to house the Featherweight, but that's just a no-no.

It's a very nice cabinet.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

daisy

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2018, 11:49:58 AM »
No, it's not the QA that I'm looking at but the one in the top right illustration. It's labeled "The 'LA' cabinet". It's for a three quarters size machine.

LeilaMay

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #19 on: January 11, 2018, 12:09:10 PM »
No, it's not the QA that I'm looking at but the one in the top right illustration. It's labeled "The 'LA' cabinet". It's for a three quarters size machine.

Ah. I've not seen one knowingly either (sorry was on full-sized mode)
Perhaps they go under the radar as telephone tables or something, and you wouldn't know it was a machine table unless you looked carefully? A new quest!  :)

daisy

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #20 on: January 11, 2018, 12:24:40 PM »
Oh, you guys!!!   ;) Just when I'd convinced myself that I was happy with what I had and that I definitely didn't need anything else.....   :devil:

SkoutSews

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2018, 14:48:27 PM »
:vintage:

For me, one of the joys of acquiring vintage machines is the ephemera that you find tucked in with it.

It's fascinating and reminds me of a book I read recently, 'The Sewing Machine' by Natalie Fergie https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sewing-Machine-Natalie-Fergie/dp/1911586041/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

It's got lots of sewing machine history (Singer factory at Clydebank) and is mostly set in Edinburgh, so it was close to home for me.

LeilaMay

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #22 on: January 11, 2018, 16:31:58 PM »
The cough medicine recipe, when deciphered, turns out to have opium and laudanum in it   :o

arrow

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #23 on: January 11, 2018, 16:56:03 PM »
When did cough medisin enter the picture? I know perscription cough medisin still contain opium or morphine derived substanses. A few oddities have turned up on the web, two or three years a go there was a picture of an apothecary bottle with a lable showing content; I think cannabis extract, cloroform and opium, standard ingredients 100 years ago. It's been all over the web several times by now, I don't know if it's a fake or a real lable?

I don't think we are that much better off these days. Recent reports on Paracetamol are more than slightly worrying. A friend I met on new years eve are on some kind of morfine patches as pain relief (?). Last summer there were a lot of talk about oxycotin, and how it's marketed as a general perscription free pain relief many places in the world. Here we go again!

On the other hand, how is the 401G sounding today? I assume the gears and joints are all been given a round of oil and greas, I think the experts recommend a light teflon grease on some of the gears on this model.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2018, 17:22:47 PM by arrow »

StitchinTime

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #24 on: January 11, 2018, 17:23:13 PM »
I notice that back in 1963 a fancy cabinet didn't stop cats "helping" with sewing :meow:

LeilaMay

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #25 on: January 11, 2018, 17:44:16 PM »
When did cough medisin enter the picture?

On the other hand, how is the 401G sounding today? I assume the gears and joints are all been given a round of oil and greas, I think the experts recommend a light teflon grease on some of the gears on this model.

There was a hand written recipe among the bits and pieces with the machine  :)
I haven't runthe machine apart from an initial test - it is going to be a while in the cleaning phase :)

LeilaMay

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #26 on: January 12, 2018, 11:26:37 AM »
So I've taken the bottom off the machine, and my first and most obvious question:

The lining of the metal base plate - perhaps originally some kind of industrial felt? Well now it's so oil and grease sodden it's like a fire risk! it's black, semi-liquid almost, stuck in various places and oozing gunge at the edges. So I've got to strip it off, I really have.
Should I replace it? Was it there to soak up excess oil? To keep the noise down at the bottom of the machine? What might I replace it with?

Suggestions gratefully received - it can't stay!


ETA - okay I see it's called a "felt drip pad" and I could buy one or a featherweight :)  Off to search for one for a 401 . . .
« Last Edit: January 12, 2018, 11:29:33 AM by LeilaMay »

b15erk

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #27 on: January 12, 2018, 11:37:04 AM »
LM, on some of my machines I've used leather.  I had an abundance of upholstery leather given to me, and I've used some of it for this purpose - used with the suede side up.

I would think any stiffish porous fabric would do the trick.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

Roger

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #28 on: January 12, 2018, 12:02:23 PM »
I was just thinking you could get a bit of felt and cut it to the right shape. As long as it’s absorbent and stops the oil leaking you should be fine:)
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

LeilaMay

Re: Singer 401G
« Reply #29 on: January 12, 2018, 12:11:22 PM »
Thank you both - I think I shall do something like this. :)

(It's so grungy - I go and look at it, and twiddle a bit, and then leave the room again LOL)